The Face Of Unemployment In Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Impact Team

OKLAHOMA CITY -- About 6.6 percent of Oklahomans are unemployed, according to the latest numbers from the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.

The commission's December report showed some hope for the state with a drop of .5 percent points from the previous month.

However, that hope isn't shared by the still more than 117,000 Oklahomans without a job.

While state leaders say Oklahoma's unemployment rate is still better than the national average, the impact of the economic downturn is still being felt by those in the state struggling to find work.

Frequently, unemployment is merely reported as a statistic, but The Oklahoma Impact Team is taking a closer look at the people behind the numbers. They're our neighbors, our friends and fellow Oklahomans.

Watch the featured video for their stories.

Many of the state's unemployed are sacrificing health care, but there are free health care clinics across the state for people who need help. Below is a full list of free health care clinics in the Tulsa and Oklahoma City areas. 

TULSA AREA FREE CLINICS

• Bedlam Clinic
  • 1111 S St Louis, Tulsa OK
  • Telephone 619-4400
  • Jennifer Withrow, Administrator
• Broken Arrow Neighbors
  • 322 W Broadway, Broken Arrow OK 74012
  • Telephone 251-778
  • Ms. Roseann Walker, Director
• Community Health Connection
  • 9912 E 21st St, Tulsa OK 74129
  • Telephone 622-0641
  • Laurie Paul, Executive Director
  • (FEES BASED ON A SLIDING SCALE)
• Good Samaritan Health Services
  • 7600 S Lewis Ave, Tulsa OK 74136
  • Telephone 493-7884 XT 3
  • Lynn Hersey, BSN RN
• Morton Midtown Homeless Clinic
  • 102 N Denver Ave, Tulsa OK 74103
  • Telephone 582-8203
  • Natalie Downing, Clinic Manager
• Neighbor for Neighbor
  • 505 E 36th St N, Tulsa OK 74106
  • Telephone 425-5578 or 425-5595
  • Maria Euresti, Medical Coordinator
• Neighbors Along the Line
  • 5000 Charles Page Blvd
  • Tulsa OK 74127
  • Telephone 582-3491
  • Mindy Tiner, Executive Director
  • Bonnie Coulter, Medical Coordinator
• Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless
  • 415 W Archer, Tulsa OK 74103
  • Telephone 583-5588
  • Sandra Lewis, Director
  • Contact: Laurie Paul
• Tulsa Dream Center Health Services
  • 200 W 46th St N, Tulsa OK 74126
  • Telephone 430-9984
  • Caroline Coussens, Clinic Director
• Xavier Medical Clinic
  • 2448 E Admiral Blvd, Tulsa OK 74110-5323
  • Telephone: 583-7233
  • Phyllis Lauinger, M.D., Medical Director

OKLAHOMA CITY AREA FREE CLINICS

• Community Health Centers
  • 12716 Northeast 36th Street
  • PO Box 30589
  • Oklahoma City, OK, 7314
  • 405-769-3301
•  Healing Hands Health Services
  • 411 Northwest 11th
  • Oklahoma City, OK, 73103
  • 405-272-0476
•  Oklahoma Community Health Services
  • 1025 Straka Terrace
  • Oklahoma City, OK, 73139
  • 405-632-6688
  • http://www.okchs.org/
•  Baptist Community Clinic
  • Olivet Baptist Church
  • 1201 NW 10th, Oklahoma City
  • (405) 717-9872
•  Southeast Area Health Center
  • 744 Southeast 25th Street
  • Oklahoma City, OK, 73129
  • 405-632-6688